The CUFF
by danomesser
Summary: An object from Regina's past makes an appearance. Outlaw Queen!


The CUFF - Outlaw Queen

She had been avoiding him for weeks now, ever since Marian showed up at Granny's. Having magic made her life so much easier. Flashing in and out of places when she needed to. Although her magic worked to her advantage, it made Robin's life hell. If she even sensed his presence near, she would disappear in a cloud of purple smoke.

It finally got to the point where Robin decided enough was enough. He was so desperate to talk to Regina that he went to someone he knew he couldn't trust. Out of desperation he headed to Gold's shop, and stopped all of a sudden having doubts about asking this imp for help. Pacing in front of the shop Robin was wrecking his brain as to what to do. He heard Gold's bell chime, the broke him of his trance and he lifted his head to see the man himself standing in front of him (with an unamused look on his face). Robin finally spoke up.

"I need your help" he mumbled quietly, but just loud enough for Gold to hear.

"And why would I help you, outlaw" Rumple snapped with bitterness in his voice.

"Just hear me out" Robin answered, "Every time I try to even approach Regina she disappears, is there something that can weaken her magic for a while so I can talk to her."

"There is, I just hope you know what you're doing and who you're dealing with, dearie. As soon as Regina regains her magic she will be fuelled with anger." He said

"Yeah, yeah! I know." Robin replied confidently, "Name your price for such a potion"

"No, no, dearie. There is no such potion"

"But, you said" Robin started, until Rumple cut him off.

"I never said it was a potion, but it is a magical item." And with that, Rumple waved his hand and a cuff appeared. "I will secretly transport you directly behind her, so she won't have a chance to get away, I saw her heading towards her house five minutes ago."

"My price is the cuff back once you have done with it, remember only you can remove it from Regina's wrist, because you put it on" Rumple reminded him one last time, before poofing him to her house.

Meanwhile, Regina was wandering around her house wondering when she would be ready to face him. All of a sudden, black smoke appeared behind her, before Regina even had a chance to react, she felt a hand grab her arm and felt something felt touch her skin. As soon as the fog cleared, she never even lifted her head to see who was in front of her. Her eyes stayed fixed on the velvet cuff, as soon as she made out what it was, almost instantly her walls she had fought so hard to keep up came crumbling down. Robin stared at her and saw the instant change in her mood. One minute she was cold and heartless, and the next minute all he sees is tears trickling down her face, she was even getting breathless at the sight. She was having a flashback, of Greg Mendel and Tamara continuously shocking her until she was unconscious. But, Robin didn't know that, in fact he knew nothing.

"Regina?" he questioned as he looked at the zoned out expression on her face."Talk to me!"

"Take it off" she asked so quietly Robin could hear her, so she repeated. "Get this thing off me and I'll talk" she said getting agitated.

Robin saw fear in her eyes, a sight he had NEVER seen before, not her, she was the strongest bravest woman he had ever met. He wasted no time in removing the magical object. She let out a deep breath she didn't even realise she was holding.

"W-w-where did you get that from? He's supposed to be dead." Regina exclaimed with panic and fear in her voice.

This was a side of Regina, Robin had never seen before.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her curiously.

"Greg Mendel." She said.

"Please, explain this whole thing to me and I'm sure you will feel better." Robin quickly reassured her.

"About 30 years ago, when I first cast the curse, a camper and his son Owen stumbled upon Storybrooke by accident. Their truck was hit by a falling tree when the curse was cast, so they had to stay in town for a few days" Regina started to explain taking deep breaths. "I got used to them being around town and when they were leaving the father carelessly walked into my office while I was controlling Graham with his heart. He freaked out, grabbed own and tried to escape Storybrooke. Unfortunately for him, he knew too much so I called Graham and told him to arrest the father. At the time I was the mayor (and his girlfriend) and therefore controlled Graham"

"Wait," Robin interrupted. "You went out with the former sheriff, wasn't he the huntsman"

"Yes" she replied simply. "May I continue, I'm already starting to regret telling you all this"

He nodded for her to continue and she did. "Anyway, I knew he needed to be silenced and I couldn't tell Graham why I needed him arrested because he didn't remember his life as the huntsman."

"Stop, you killed him!"

"My story, let me finish" she snapped, he held his hands up in surrender.

She continued. "Graham finally caught up to the truck and arrested the father, so the father tells Owen to run. So he did and later came back with help, once they couldn't find Storybrooke." She sighed at the memory.

"About 28 years later, when Ms Swan had broken the curse and man called Greg Mendel came into Storybrooke and crashed his car. He was fine apart from a few scratches, which is more than I can say for Hook. He ended up with a couple of broken ribs. Anyway, at first he seemed somewhat familiar and it took me a just under a week to work out that the man standing in front of me was the little boy from all those years ago, Owen. He wouldn't tell me why he was in Storybrooke, he just kept asking me about his insufferable father and every time I told him the same thing, I don't know."

"It was a lie?" Robin questioned.

"Yes, Robin, of course it was a lie. A few weeks later it happened, I asked Hook to help me with something (big mistake) and he gave me a 'cuff' that was supposed to be my mother's and foolishly I took it. The cuff basically drained every magical bone in my body. I was defenceless, so Hook, Greg and Tamara (Greg's girlfriend) kidnapped me and strapped me to a table."

Regina finally looked up and saw the horror on Robin's face. "Trust me, you haven't heard anything yet. They then suck these little things all over my body and Greg questioned me about his father. I still stubbornly denied knowing anything about his father. And then suddenly found out what the things were for, I looked up and noticed that they were all hooked up to one machine and then I got shocked with volts of electricity. I knew his father was dead and even if I told the trust he wouldn't have believed me so when he made his final demand, I told him I killed his father as soon as he left, I wanted to be strong in my final moments. After hearing that he did what I thought he would and turned the machine up to full power and it shocked me until I was unconscious, if I didn't have magic I would be dead" she said finishing her story.

Robin just sat there looking gobsmacked. "What happens afterwards?"

"Snow and charming were there in minutes, that's why Mendel was pressuring me into answers because they were surrounding the building. Snow saved me, she felt bad after killing my mother." She replied.

"Wait, I'm still confused. You said you lied about what happened to his father, what really happened"

"His father did die within minutes on Owen leaving Storybrooke, but not at the hands of was my fault though." she sighed. "Graham was about to take him away when he slipped through Graham's fingers and started strangling me with the handcuffs he had on, I was quickly losing consciousness so Graham shot him to save me" the tears started again and Robin slowly wiped them away with his thumb.

"Now, why did you need to talk to me so urgently that you went to Gold" she asked looking him in the blue orbs he had for eyes.

"I was so wrapped up in your story, I almost forgot. I spoke to Marian"

"Robin, no I don't want to ruin your marriage." Regina interrupted.

"I know and you didn't. She knows I have changed and I am not the man, she fell in love with. She has released me from my vows, so we can both find happiness." He said with that daft smirk on his face. "You have no idea how much I've missed you"

"How much" she asked with a smirk of her own on her face.

Out of nowhere, he crashed his lips into hers pouring every emotion that she made him feel into it. Without breaking contact with her lips, he pulls her off her step and pushes her back against a wall, only breaking the kiss when they need to come up for air.


End file.
